Candidates who take on power and promise real real progressive change are the ones voters are rallying behind, because anything less isn’t worth showing up for…
The Democrats have been so cowed by big corporate money that most of them are still afraid to be seen in the same picture with a labor leader. But I can finally see that beginning to change, and progressive fighters like Graham Platner and Zohran Mamdani are leading the charge. Timid, temporizing moderates are no longer in vogue.
I approached the same topic from a slightly different angle but came up with a similar conclusion in "With a toxic Trump, nose-holding voters could be the key to Democratic victory in 2026 elections. The GOP has to fear the Republican voter who walks into the booth, pinches his nose, and decides Trump has finally made the his party intolerable." We can win over enough Republicans who rarely if ever vote for Democrats with the right candidates and prevail in 2026 - and we will be aided by Trump's becoming more and more unpopular. Link: https://halbrown.substack.com/p/with-a-toxic-trump-nose-holding-voters
Thank you, Thom Hartmann; your post was spot on. I've been asking a long time, when will the Democrats learn how to talk. Perhaps, as you pointed out, when they have something to say.
Platner says "I''m not the guy I was back then". OK. But can the Democratic Party say "We're not the DLC any more"? I don't think so, at least not as is stands today.
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! That is the message from this rant and from anyone who is paying attention. To observe May Day, I want to mention a book which was highly recommended by Jennifer Rubin on her website or Substack, "The Contrarian" yesterday. I have been skipping over her emails recently because I have been busy with my own writing and personal matters, but the one yesterday caught my attention, and it aligns perfectly with Thom's message and with the May Day actions going on today. Rubin gave a compelling review of the book, "How to be a Dissident" by Gal Beckerman. I have not read the book, of course, but it appears to be a must read. We certainly do need some bona fide dissidents right now. This also parallels perfectly, I believe, my new posting yesterday on my Substack, entitled, "Democrats, Liberals & Progressives, Must Fight for Fundamental Values Instead of Fighting Proxy Battles", and subtitled, "The War for Democracy & Against Fascism Will be Won or Lost in Schools." To some, I am talking heresy. I have said that it is necessary to stop playing games with the religious crackpots and extremists and giving them legitimacy under the guise of honoring personal beliefs and religious convictions. They are running roughshod over us and claiming their sanctimony is godly and righteous. I call BS. Religious concepts such as "original sin" have infiltrated politics, schooling, and many aspects of society. It is a bunch of medieval crap. An atheist or agnostic should be able to run for high office openly and unapologetically and schools must not be full of super-moralists preaching obedience to authority..
In recent weeks, headlines have been touting Trump’s declining popularity and approval ratings. And while that is certainly a hopeful thing, I think another number that Democrats should be looking at hard but appear to be ignoring is that the Democratic leadership approval and popularity numbers are even WORSE. Trump is still in the low to middle 30s, while the Democratic party approval numbers are sitting at 27-28%. I’ll say that again a bit differently. The Democratic party and leadership is MORE disliked than Trump. Right now, currently, Trump is more popular than the Democratic party. What the hell are Schumer, Jefferies, Gillibrand thinking? Their unwillingness to rock the boat and insistence on maintaining the status quo is almost more offensive to me than Trump and his MAGA acolytes’ positions. At least I know Trump doesn’t give a shit about me. But Schumer, Jefferies, and the rest of the Democratic leadership, will slide up beside me, smile, shake my hand, and then stab me in the back. It’s infuriating.
I dunno. I watched an interview of Platner with David Sirota, and he had to spend a great deal of time explaining why he is today a totally different person than when he was a hard right, military macho, misogynist, MAGA warrior before MAGA. He seems sincere, but Collins will use that against him ad nauseum.
Maybe he will be a fighter, maybe he will be progressive. I trust Bernie. No choice but to vote for him to get Sen. "I'm concerned" out of there, so I wish I could vote in Maine. But the level of trust I have in almost any US politician these days is about a millimeter deep.
I don't know how to say this more clearly: the only **potential** path out of this multi front hell we're living in is through authentic progressivism - not status quo establishment Democratic Party fluff. Current leadership must go - they care more for their own privilege than they care for working and poor people's actual survival.
We do not have the luxury of time to set our party straight. This is as urgent as things get. And if we come up short this time, it may as well be forever until people get another chance. I say "people" - not "us" - for a reason: we won't be here.
In a nutshell: “The post-1992 neoliberal Democratic Party didn’t lose because it was too progressive: it lost because it kept refusing to be progressive at all.” Thom Hartmann for DNC Chair! We MUST throttle the corporate Dems whose leadership has brought us to the brink of fascism.
Time also to look at Independent candidates. There are five Veterans running asIndependents for the Senate. Osborn in Nebraska, Achilles in Idaho, Bengs in South Dakota, Bodnar in Montana, and Pinkins in Mississippi. All are pledged to form an independent caucus not beholden to either party and acting as a fulcrum to actually represent their constituents.
,,,to be a "partisan stooge" increasingly means working to force Americans to live in a nation where YOUR oligarch-controlled minority disenfranchises THEIR CITIZENS' majority vote. That increasingly describes oligarchs versus citizens, more and more disguised as party versus party.
Progressives win WHERE Independent voters CAN vote for them AND their progressive values can become known. Currently, that seems ONLY in Democtratic primaries. Netanyahu wants that shut off. AIPAC wants that shut off; MAGA wants that shut off, and the DNC wants that shut off. Uniformly, they fear progressives , they fear democracy and they hate open primaries.
That seems to me why BOTH Epstein-class oligarch-owned parties are desperate to control the mainstream media, silence Independent journalists, end academic freedom, and their toadies are emboldened and encouraged to openly deprecate First Amendment Rights...
We need Democrats who are more like Bernie, Democratic socialists. People first.
The Democrats have been so cowed by big corporate money that most of them are still afraid to be seen in the same picture with a labor leader. But I can finally see that beginning to change, and progressive fighters like Graham Platner and Zohran Mamdani are leading the charge. Timid, temporizing moderates are no longer in vogue.
The old guard, Jeffries, Schumer, Pelosi, the DNC have tin ears, they are up to their neck in hock to the Donor class.
Pelsoi backed a Demopub, Joseph Kennedy II, against a genuine progressive Sen Markey of Mass.
She also backed another Demopub against AOC
Rahm Emanuel called us fucking retarded and is now exploring a Presidential run, bathing in his success at klling single payor.
I approached the same topic from a slightly different angle but came up with a similar conclusion in "With a toxic Trump, nose-holding voters could be the key to Democratic victory in 2026 elections. The GOP has to fear the Republican voter who walks into the booth, pinches his nose, and decides Trump has finally made the his party intolerable." We can win over enough Republicans who rarely if ever vote for Democrats with the right candidates and prevail in 2026 - and we will be aided by Trump's becoming more and more unpopular. Link: https://halbrown.substack.com/p/with-a-toxic-trump-nose-holding-voters
Thank you, Thom Hartmann; your post was spot on. I've been asking a long time, when will the Democrats learn how to talk. Perhaps, as you pointed out, when they have something to say.
As Platner has demonstrated, we do. And need to say it loud and clear.
Platner says "I''m not the guy I was back then". OK. But can the Democratic Party say "We're not the DLC any more"? I don't think so, at least not as is stands today.
Let's send Schumer to the nursing home that he deserves. Paid for by his corporate sponsors.
1.Send this message to any Repbublican you know - especially mayors, governors, legislators, etc and anyone who works for them.
Im primaries vote for the youngest Democrat running
and/or
Don't vote for any one who has been in Congress more than 10 years
We shall overcome
Yes we can
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! That is the message from this rant and from anyone who is paying attention. To observe May Day, I want to mention a book which was highly recommended by Jennifer Rubin on her website or Substack, "The Contrarian" yesterday. I have been skipping over her emails recently because I have been busy with my own writing and personal matters, but the one yesterday caught my attention, and it aligns perfectly with Thom's message and with the May Day actions going on today. Rubin gave a compelling review of the book, "How to be a Dissident" by Gal Beckerman. I have not read the book, of course, but it appears to be a must read. We certainly do need some bona fide dissidents right now. This also parallels perfectly, I believe, my new posting yesterday on my Substack, entitled, "Democrats, Liberals & Progressives, Must Fight for Fundamental Values Instead of Fighting Proxy Battles", and subtitled, "The War for Democracy & Against Fascism Will be Won or Lost in Schools." To some, I am talking heresy. I have said that it is necessary to stop playing games with the religious crackpots and extremists and giving them legitimacy under the guise of honoring personal beliefs and religious convictions. They are running roughshod over us and claiming their sanctimony is godly and righteous. I call BS. Religious concepts such as "original sin" have infiltrated politics, schooling, and many aspects of society. It is a bunch of medieval crap. An atheist or agnostic should be able to run for high office openly and unapologetically and schools must not be full of super-moralists preaching obedience to authority..
In recent weeks, headlines have been touting Trump’s declining popularity and approval ratings. And while that is certainly a hopeful thing, I think another number that Democrats should be looking at hard but appear to be ignoring is that the Democratic leadership approval and popularity numbers are even WORSE. Trump is still in the low to middle 30s, while the Democratic party approval numbers are sitting at 27-28%. I’ll say that again a bit differently. The Democratic party and leadership is MORE disliked than Trump. Right now, currently, Trump is more popular than the Democratic party. What the hell are Schumer, Jefferies, Gillibrand thinking? Their unwillingness to rock the boat and insistence on maintaining the status quo is almost more offensive to me than Trump and his MAGA acolytes’ positions. At least I know Trump doesn’t give a shit about me. But Schumer, Jefferies, and the rest of the Democratic leadership, will slide up beside me, smile, shake my hand, and then stab me in the back. It’s infuriating.
I dunno. I watched an interview of Platner with David Sirota, and he had to spend a great deal of time explaining why he is today a totally different person than when he was a hard right, military macho, misogynist, MAGA warrior before MAGA. He seems sincere, but Collins will use that against him ad nauseum.
Maybe he will be a fighter, maybe he will be progressive. I trust Bernie. No choice but to vote for him to get Sen. "I'm concerned" out of there, so I wish I could vote in Maine. But the level of trust I have in almost any US politician these days is about a millimeter deep.
Thom is dead on in this Report.
I don't know how to say this more clearly: the only **potential** path out of this multi front hell we're living in is through authentic progressivism - not status quo establishment Democratic Party fluff. Current leadership must go - they care more for their own privilege than they care for working and poor people's actual survival.
We do not have the luxury of time to set our party straight. This is as urgent as things get. And if we come up short this time, it may as well be forever until people get another chance. I say "people" - not "us" - for a reason: we won't be here.
In a nutshell: “The post-1992 neoliberal Democratic Party didn’t lose because it was too progressive: it lost because it kept refusing to be progressive at all.” Thom Hartmann for DNC Chair! We MUST throttle the corporate Dems whose leadership has brought us to the brink of fascism.
Can the Democrats stay focused on their "Affordability Agenda" and not drift into culture wars laden with antisemitism? Doubtful.
We can’t let anti-Zionism be confused with antisemitism.
Time also to look at Independent candidates. There are five Veterans running asIndependents for the Senate. Osborn in Nebraska, Achilles in Idaho, Bengs in South Dakota, Bodnar in Montana, and Pinkins in Mississippi. All are pledged to form an independent caucus not beholden to either party and acting as a fulcrum to actually represent their constituents.
As the agendas of BOTH parties have become less popular for over a decade...
https://news.gallup.com/poll/700499/new-high-identify-political-independents.aspx
,,,to be a "partisan stooge" increasingly means working to force Americans to live in a nation where YOUR oligarch-controlled minority disenfranchises THEIR CITIZENS' majority vote. That increasingly describes oligarchs versus citizens, more and more disguised as party versus party.
Progressives win WHERE Independent voters CAN vote for them AND their progressive values can become known. Currently, that seems ONLY in Democtratic primaries. Netanyahu wants that shut off. AIPAC wants that shut off; MAGA wants that shut off, and the DNC wants that shut off. Uniformly, they fear progressives , they fear democracy and they hate open primaries.
That seems to me why BOTH Epstein-class oligarch-owned parties are desperate to control the mainstream media, silence Independent journalists, end academic freedom, and their toadies are emboldened and encouraged to openly deprecate First Amendment Rights...
https://www.newsweek.com/israeli-billionaires-call-to-limit-free-speech-sparks-conservative-fury-11300150
...AND the parties' and their Supreme Cult's currently focus to monopolize the news and gerrymander!-gerrymander!!-gerrymander!!!.